Effects of mine effluent on uptake of Co,Ni, Cu,As, Zn,Cd, Cr and Pb by aquatic macrophytes

Concentrations of Ni, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr and As were determined in aquatic sediments, water and macrophytes collected from a fluvial system, contaminated by mine effluents. Myriophyllum verticillatum collected in May below the trace element point source accumulated 169 µg/g of Ni, 860 µg/g of Co, 37 µg/g of Cu, 31 µg/g of Pb, 92 µg/g of Zn, 6.9 µg/g of Cr and 1,200 µg/g of As (concentrations in dry weight). The aquatic macrophytes Nymphaea odoratae and Pontederia cordata accumulated the investigated trace elements to a much lesser extent. The concentrations of trace elements in Myriophyllum verticillatum decreased from May to August. Correlations were found between the concentrations of total Ni, Co and Cu in the bottom sediment and in the submerged macrophytes. However, there was no correlation between the amounts of these trace elements extractable by 0.5 N HCl from the sediments and the concentrations in the macrophytes.     

Interactions between toxic (As, Cd, Hg and Pb) and nutritional essential (Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn) elements in the tissues of cattle from NW Spain

Since the toxicity of one metal or metalloid can be dramatically modulated by the interaction with other toxic or essential metals, studies addressing the chemical interactions between trace elements are increasingly important. In this study correlations between the main toxic (As, Cd, Hg and Pb) and nutritional essential (Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn) elements were evaluated in the tissues (liver, kidney and muscle) of 120 cattle from NW Spain, using Spearman rank correlation analysis based on analytical data obtained by ICP-AES. Although accumulation of toxic elements in cattle in this study is very low and trace essential metals are generally within the adequate ranges, there were significant associations between toxic and essential metals. Cd was positively correlated with most of the essential metals in the kidney, and with Ca, Co and Zn in the liver. Pb was significantly correlated with Co and Cu in the liver. A large number of significant associations between essential metals were found in the different tissues, these correlations being very strong between Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn in the kidney. Co was moderately correlated with most of the essential metals in the liver. In general, interactions between trace elements in this study were similar to those found in polluted areas or in experimental studies in animals receiving diets containing high levels of toxic metals or inadequate levels of nutritional essential elements. These interactions probably indicate that mineral balance in the body is regulated by important homeostatic mechanisms in which toxic elements compete with the essential metals, even at low levels of metal exposure. The knowledge of these correlations may be essential to understand the kinetic interactions of metals and their implications in the trace metal metabolism.     

Accumulation of Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni and Pb in Pavlova viridis Tseng (Haptophyceae)

The flagellate alga Pavlova viridis Tseng was investigated in the laboratory for accumulation of the heavy metals, silver, cadmium, cobalt, copper, mercury, nickel and lead. The cultures were grown in an artificial seawater medium mixed with the individual metals at different concentrations. Based on data from the controls, the baseline metal concentrations in P. viridis were shown to be in an order of Cu > Pb > Co > Cd > Ni > Ag > Hg. In the experimental groups, the seven metals displayed different isotherm equilibrium patterns and the metal uptake capacity of the alga was Ni > Pb > Co > Hg > Cu > Cd > Ag at equilibrium. When assessed using the bioconcentration factors, metal accumulation by P. viridis was demonstrated to be the most efficient at a concentration of 0.001 mg L-1 for Ag, Cd and Co, and at 0.01 mg L-1 for Cu, Hg, Ni and Pb. This study suggests that P. viridis can be a source of mineral supplements in mariculture. The alga is not, however, recognized as an effective agent for removing heavy metals from wastewater. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Enrichment in Trace Metals (Al,Mn, Co,Cu, Mo,Cd, Fe,Zn, Pb and Hg) of Macro-Invertebrate Habitats at Hydrothermal Vents Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The present study describes several features of the aquatic environment with the emphasis on the total vs. filter-passing fraction (FP) of heavy metals in microhabitats of two typical deep-sea vent organisms: the filter-feeder, symbiont-bearing Bathymodiolus and the grazer shrimps Rimicaris/Mirocaris from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The concentration of 10 trace elements: Al, Mn, Co, Cu, Mo, Cd, Fe, Zn, Pb and Hg was explored highlighting common and distinctive features among the five hydrothermal vent sites of the MAR: Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike, Rainbow, Saldanha, and Menez Hom that are all geo-chemically different when looking at the undiluted hydrothermal fluid composition. The drop off in the percentage of FP from total metal concentration in mussel and/or shrimp inhabited water samples (in mussel beds at Rainbow, for instance, FP fraction of Fe was below 23%, Zn 24 %, Al 65%, Cu 70%, and Mn 89%) as compared to non-inhabited areas (where 94% of the Fe, 90% of the Zn, 100% of the other metals was in the FP fraction) may indicate an influence of vent organisms on their habitat’s chemistry, which in turn may determine adaptational strategies to elevated levels of toxic heavy metals. Predominance of particulate fraction over the soluble metals, jointly with the morphological structure and elemental composition of typical particles in these vent habitats suggest a more limited metal bioavailability to vent organisms as previously thought. In addition, it is evoked that vent invertebrates may have developed highly efficient metal-handling strategies targeting particulate phase of various metals present in the mixing zones that enables their survival under these extreme conditions.     

Distribution of Toxic Trace Metals Zn,Cd, Pb,and Cu in Tirupati Soils,India

The concentrations of toxic trace metals in the soil samples collected from Tirupati, India, have been determined using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The total metal concentrations of the soils in the study area were in the following ranges: 19.5 to 23.6 mg of Zn, 0.032 to 0.036 mg of Cd, 15.8 to 18.9 mg of Pb, and 19.0 to 23.4 mg of Cu per kg soil. Analysis of standard reference material IAEA-SOIL-5 indicates good accuracy. Recoveries were nearly quantitative for all elements studied. Comparison of the average metal concentration levels with world averages indicates an elevated value for Pb. The applicability of this method was crosschecked with AAS and the results were in good agreement.     

Heavy Metals (Cd,Cu, Ni,Pb, and Zn) Fractionation in River Sediments,Hamedan, Western Iran

Five heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in river sediments from Abshineh River, Hamedan, western Iran, were fractionated by a sequential extraction procedure. Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn existed in sediments mainly in residual fraction (mean 92%, 86%, 77%, and 65%, respectively), whereas Cd occurred mostly as organic matter (mean 41%) and exchangeable (mean 25%) fractions. The mean percent of mobile fraction of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in contaminated sediments was 25, 13, 4, 24, and 10, respectively, which suggests that the mobility and bioavailability of the five metals in sediments probably decline in the following order: Cd = Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni. The metal levels were also evaluated according to the contamination factor, which revealed significant anthropogenic pollution of Cd and Pb.     

Bioaccessibility of Cd,Cr, Cu,Mn, Ni,Pb, and Zn in Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) along the southeastern Black Sea coast

The adverse effect of seafood consumption on human health is related to the bioaccessibility in contrast with the total heavy metal level in the tissues. In this study, bioaccessibility of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) edible soft tissues collected along the southern Black Sea coast were investigated using in vitro digestion model. Total Pb concentration in the tissues was found to be higher than the maximum permissible limits set by European Commission. The bioaccessibility of metals in the tissues was found to be decreased in the order: Ni (83.11%) > Cu (80.47%) > Zn (76.86%) > Cd (73.32%) > Mn (69.11%) > Pb (61.07%) > Cr (58.44%). While significant positive linear regression was observed between total and bioaccessible concentrations for Mn, Pb, and Ni, significant negative linear regression was found for Cd (p < .05). The hazard quotients (HQ) calculated using bioaccessible amount were detected lower than the limit (HQ <1), which may not pose a potential hazard to humans reported by US Environmental Protection Agency. In sum, mussel consumption from sampling sites may cause a potential risk concerning human health especially for Cd and Pb in case of increased portion sizes.     

Tolerance and hyperaccumulation of a mixture of heavy metals (Cu,Pb, Hg,and Zn) by four aquatic macrophytes

In the present investigation, four macrophytes, namely Typha latifolia (L.), Lemna minor (L.), Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach, and Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc, were evaluated for their heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Hg, and Zn) hyperaccumulation potential under laboratory conditions. Tolerance analyses were performed for 7 days of exposure at five different treatments of the metals mixture (Cu⁺², Hg⁺², Pb⁺², and Zn⁺²). The production of chlorophyll and carotenoids was determined at the end of each treatment. L. minor revealed to be sensitive, because it did not survive in all the tested concentrations after 72 hours of exposure. E. crassipes and M. aquaticum displayed the highest tolerance to the metals mixture. For the most tolerant species of aquatic macrophytes, The removal kinetics of E. crassipes and M. aquaticum was carried out, using the following mixture of metals: Cu (0.5 mg/L) and Hg, Pb, and Zn 0.25 mg/L. The obtained results revealed that E. crassipes can remove 99.80% of Cu, 97.88% of Pb, 99.53% of Hg, and 94.37% of Zn. M. aquaticum withdraws 95.2% of Cu, 94.28% of Pb, 99.19% of Hg, and 91.91% of Zn. The obtained results suggest that these two species of macrophytes could be used for the phytoremediation of this mixture of heavy metals from the polluted water bodies.     

Sorption behavior of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn and their interactions in phytoremediated soil

The aim of our study was to compare the sorption properties of a contaminated soil before and after two types of phytoremediation (natural phytoextraction vs. phytostabilization with dolomite limestone (DL) application). Soil from a pot experiment in controlled greenhouse conditions performed for two vegetation periods was used for the study. Lead, as the main contaminant in the studied soil, was easily desorbed by Cu, especially due to the increased affinity of Cu for soil organic matter; hence input of Cu to the studied soil can present another environmental risk in soils contaminated with other metals (such as Pb). In addition, the sorption behavior of chosen metals from single-element solutions differed from multielement solutions. The obtained results proved the different sorption behavior of metals in the single-element solution compared to the multi-element ones. Soil sorption behavior of Cd, Cu, and Zn decreased with the presence of the competitive metals; nevertheless, Pb sorption potential was not influenced by other competitive metals. Natural phytoextraction showed no significant effect on the sorption of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn onto the soil On the other hand, phytostabilization associated with DL application improved the soil sorption efficiency of all chosen metals, especially of Cu.     

绿洲土Cd、Pb、Zn、Ni复合污染下重金属的形态特征和生物有效性

通过模拟基于干旱区绿洲土壤Cd-Pb-Zn-Ni复合污染下的油菜盆栽试验,采用Tessier五步连续浸提法探究了重金属复合污染对油菜生长的影响及其各形态的转化归趋和生物有效性.结果显示,随着Cd-Pb-Zn-Ni复合胁迫水平的升高,油菜的干重先增加后减小,根系的生长由促进作用转变为抑制作用;对照土壤中4种重金属元素均以残渣态为主要赋存形态,可交换态的含量均很小;随着外源重金属的添加,油菜种植土壤中4种重金属元素的各形态含量随之增加,Cd、Pb、Zn的可交换态和Ni的碳酸盐结合态对外界胁迫响应强度最大,Cd、Pb、Zn、Ni的活性增加,且Cd、Pb的主要赋存形态迅速转变为碳酸盐结合态和铁锰氧化态,Zn的主要赋存形态由残渣态和碳酸盐结合态过渡到碳酸盐结合态和铁锰氧化态,Ni的主要赋存形态为碳酸盐结合态;Cd、Zn在茎叶中的含量大于根系,Pb、Ni反之,油菜能将Cd、Zn更多的运输至茎叶,Pb、Ni则主要积累在根系;油菜茎叶吸收Cd和油菜各部位吸收Zn的主要贡献形态为可交换态,根吸收Cd的主要贡献形态由可交换态转变为有机结合态,根吸收Pb和油菜各部位吸收Ni的主要贡献形态为碳酸盐结合态.     

The Adsorption Properties of Agricultural and Forest Soils Towards Heavy Metal Ions (Ni,Cu, Zn,and Cd)

Adsorption of Cu, Cd, Ni, and Zn in single and multi-metal solutions by agricultural and forest soils was investigated in batch sorption experiments. The results showed significant differences in sorption capacities of the studied soils. The selectivity order was as follows: agricultural soil? top forest soil > bottom forest soil. The adsorption sequence Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd was established for the agricultural and bottom forest soil, while the order for the top forest soil was Cu > Ni > Zn > Cd. The experimental isotherms for the metal sorption were described satisfactorily by the Freundlich and Langmuir models. The competitive adsorption experiment indicated a reduction in the amount of metals adsorbed by the soils from the multi-metal solution compared to the single metal solution. Properties of the soils, such as pH, content of clay and organic matter, exchangeable bases and hydrolytic acidity, showed a significant influence on adsorption capacities of the studied soils.     

Distribution of Metals (Cu,Zn, Pb,and Cd) in Sediments of the Anzali Lagoon,North Iran

Concentrations of four metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd) in the sediments of the Anzali Lagoon in the northern part of Iran were determined to evaluate the level of contamination and spatial distribution. The sediments were collected from 21 locations in the lagoon. At each lagoon site a core, 60 cm long, was taken. The ranges of the measured concentrations in the sediments are as follows: 17–140 mg kg^?1 for Cu, 20–113 mg kg^?1 for Zn, 1–37 mg kg^?1 for Pb and 0.1–3.5 mg kg^?1 for Cd in surficial (0-20 cm) and 16–87 mg kg^?1 for Cu, 28.5–118 mg kg^?1 for Zn, 3–20 mg kg^?1 for Pb and 0.1–3.5 mg kg^?1 for Cd in deep (40–60 cm) sediments. The results of the geoaccumulation index (I_geo) show that Cd causes moderate to heavy pollution in most of the study area. Environmental risk evaluation showed that the pollution in the Anzali Lagoon is moderate to considerable and the ranking of the contaminants followed the order: Cd > Cu > Pb > Zn. Some locations present severe pollution by metals depending on the sources, of which sewage outlets and phosphate fertilizers are the main sources of contaminants to the area.     

Investigation of Vetiver Grass Capability in Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soils with Heavy Metals (Pb,Cd, Mn,and Ni)

ABSTRACT

Soil contamination with heavy metals has become a worldwide concern. A sustainable technology to mitigate heavy metal contamination is extremely important. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective method, environmentally friendly, and esthetically pleasing. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of Vetiver phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. This research was conducted as a factorial design with four different heavy metals (lead, cadmium, manganese, and nickel) with three varying levels and also three replications for each treatment. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS19 software and analysis of variance, Duncan and Pearson correlation tests. The results showed that, the highest uptake rate was related to lead metal with 282.45 mg/kg of dry soil and 83.4% uptake percentage. Then, the mean and percentage of adsorption for cadmium, nickel and manganese were 248.3 mg/kg (53.2%), 69.4 mg/kg (65.5%), and 63.29 mg/kg (61%), respectively. Lead was found to be the main component of uptake by Vetiver plant. It was found that the roots of the plant have absorbed more heavy metals than the shoots. And at the roots in total 1089.05 and on average 363.01 mg/kg and at the shoots 901.19 and on average 300.39 mg/kg, the metals used were adsorbed on three levels and four treatments. The results of analysis of variance, Duncan test and Pearson correlation showed that the effect of applied treatments on lead uptake in roots and shoots increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with increasing levels of treatments. The biological concentration factor was more than one, and the transfer factor was close to one. Therefore, it can be used as a phytostablization plant. The results showed that Vetiver can be considered as a refining plant due to its vegetative characteristics, cost-effectiveness and high adaptation to environmental conditions.     

Effects of Total Soft Tissue and Shell Thickness on the Accumulation of Heavy Metals (Cd,Cu, Pb,and Zn) in the Green-Lipped Mussel Perna viridis

The effects of the total soft tissue dry weight and shell thickness and on the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were determined in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis. In agreement with Boyden's formula (1977), our results showed that the plotting of metal concentrations against the total soft tissue dry weight and shell thickness of the mussel on a double logarithmic basis gave negative coefficients especially for Cd, Pb, and Zn. Therefore, the smaller mussels (lower total soft tissue dry weight) had higher concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn than the larger ones. Since shell thickness could be considered to estimate of the age of the mussel, it was also found that the younger mussels accumulated more Cd, Pb, and Zn than the older ones. This indicated that P. viridis has a different metabolic strategy for each of the metals studied which may be related to age. However, the accumulation of Cu was hardly affected by the sizes and ages of the mussel. This indicated that the accumulation pathways of Cu and the processes affecting the bioavailability of Cu to the mussel are different from those for Cd, Pb, and Zn.     

Effect of EDTA and Tannic Acid on the Removal of Cd,Ni, Pb and Cu from Artificially Contaminated Soil by Althaea rosea Cavan

In this study an ornamental plant of Althaea rosea Cavan was investigated for its potential use in the removal of Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu from an artificially contaminated soil. Effect of two different chelating agents on the removal has also been studied by using EDTA (ethylenediaminetetracetic acid) and TA (tannic acid). Both EDTA and TA have led to higher heavy metal concentration in shoots and leaves compared to control plants. However EDTA is generally known as an effective agent in metal solubilisation of soil, in this study, TA was found more effective to induce metal accumulation in Althaea rosea Cavan under the studied conditions. In addition to this, EDTA is toxic to some species and restraining the growth of the plants. The higher BCF (Bio Concentration Factor) and TF (Translocation Factor) values obtained from stems and leaves by the effects of the chemical enhancers (EDTA and TA) show that Althaea rosea Cavan is a hyper accumulator for the studied metals and may be cultivated to clean the contaminated soils.     

Levels of Some Trace Metals (Zn,Cr, and Ni) in the Muscle and Internal Organs of Cattle in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This scoping study assessed the concentrations of zinc, chromium, and nickel in the muscle and internal organs of a sample of commercially available meat from Nigerian-bred cattle. The dried samples were digested with a 3:2 HNO₃/HClO₄ mixture and analyzed for these three metals with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The ranges of detectable values (mgkg^?1) were Zn (433.82–529.36) Cr (5.39–19.85), and Ni (0.80–1.72). Liver and muscle showed the highest concentrations of Zn while the highest concentrations of Cr occurred in the tripe. Nickel's concentration in the liver was the lowest. All samples showed Zn concentrations greater than the Codex Alimentarium limits of 50 mg/kg (muscle) and 80 mg/kg (edible offal), and 147 samples exceeded the 150 mg/kg limit set by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority. One hundred and twenty of the 150 samples showed Cd concentration above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit of 8 mg/kg, while 93% (muscle), 77% (liver), 97%(tripe), and 100% (kidney and intestine) showed concentrations of Ni higher than 0.5 mg/kg set as a guideline limit by Council of Mutual Economic Assistance. These high concentrations in the tested commercial sample of Nigerian beef may reflect the general pollution levels of these metals in the Nigerian environment.     

Reference values for the concentrations of As,Cd, Co,Cr, Cu,Fe, I,Hg, Mn,Mo, Ni,Pb, Se,and Zn in selected human tissues and body fluids

This report attempts to formulate reference ranges of elemental concentrations for 15 trace elements in selected human tissues and body fluids. A set of samples consisting of whole blood, blood serum, urine, milk, liver, and hair were chosen and considered for 15 elements of biological significance: As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, I, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. The results represent wholly or partially data received from 40 countries of the global regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North, South, and Central America, Australia, and New Zealand. This survey, even if qualitative, has been useful in demonstrating certain trends of trace-element scenarios around the world. It is of course recognized that both diet and environment exert a strong influence on the distribution pattern of several elements, such as As, Cd, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn. A limited comparison of the available information on soil status of different countries reflected some interesting associations for elements, such as Mn and Zn. Importantly, this study revealed that only a few countries were in a position to identify a reasonable amount of data on samples requested for this project. Regretably, for a number of countries, any dependable data for even such essential elements as Cu, Fe, and Zn were not available. In view of the nutritional importance of many elements, the time is ripe for concerted efforts by intergovernmental agencies to initiate investigations or commission task forces/projects to generate reliable reference data for selected global regions, which sadly lack data of any kind at present.     

Vertical and Horizontal Distributions of Zn,Cd, Pb,Cu, and Hg in Uncultivated Soil in the Vicinity of a Zinc Smelter at Odda,Norway

In the present work the extent and variation of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Hg loading in undisturbed surface soil (0–5 cm) and the vertical transport of the metals in soil profiles are studied in the vicinity of a zinc smelter in Norway. Three major controlling factors on the metal concentrations in soil have been assessed: 1) distance from the anthropogenic point source; 2) organic matter content (O.M.); and 3) the prevailing wind directions. Moreover metal distributions in proximal soil profiles in 1972 and 2003 are compared. Current concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Hg in surface soil reach 14000, 60, 980, 430, and 7.0 mg·kg ^{? 1} , respectively, near the smelter and decrease regularly with distance in the northerly direction according to the regression model (y = ax^{? b} ). The Zn concentrations are significantly different from the background range up to 30 km from the smelter, whereas the other metals approach background at only 10 km distance. Subsurface concentration peaks of Pb, Cu, and Hg are found at greater depth in soil profiles than peaks of Zn and Cd. Levels of Zn, Cd, and Pb in surface soil seem to have decreased from 1972 to 2003, whereas for Cu the levels appear not to be significantly different.     

The Effect of Mustard Gas on Salivary Trace Metals (Zn,Mn, Cu,Mg, Mo,Sr, Cd,Ca, Pb,Rb)

We have determined and compared trace metals concentration in saliva taken from chemical warfare injures who were under the exposure of mustard gas and healthy subjects by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for the first time. The influence of preliminary operations on the accuracy of ICP-OES analysis, blood contamination, the number of restored teeth in the mouth, salivary flow rate, and daily variations in trace metals concentration in saliva were also considered. Unstimulated saliva was collected at 10:00–11:00 a.m. from 45 subjects in three equal groups. The first group was composed of 15 healthy subjects (group 1); the second group consisted of 15 subjects who, upon chemical warfare injuries, did not use Salbutamol spray, which they would have normally used on a regular basis (group 2); and the third group contained the same number of patients as the second group, but they had taken their regular medicine (Salbutamol spray; group 3). Our results showed that the concentration of Cu in saliva was significantly increased in the chemical warfare injures compared to healthy subjects, as follows: healthy subjects 15.3± 5.45(p.p.b.), patients (group 2) 45.77±13.65, and patients (Salbutamol spray; group 3) 29 ±8.51 (P <0.02). In contrast, zinc was significantly decreased in the patients, as follows: healthy subjects 37 ± 9.03(p.p.b.), patients (group 2) 12.2 ± 3.56, and patients (Salbutamol spray; group 3) 20.6 ±10.01 (P < 0.01). It is important to note that direct dilution of saliva samples with ultrapure nitric acid showed the optimum ICP-OES outputs.     

Assessment of the bioaccumulation pattern of Pb,Cd, Cr and Hg in edible fishes of East kolkata Wetlands,India

Waste water fed pisciculture is nowadays a common feature in aquaculture belts across the globe. East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) a nature’s wonder where waste water fed natural aquaculture beltis is active for more than 70 years now and is efficiently operating as a natural waste management system. The peri urban wetland is also a site of international importance and is listed in Ramsar. Field and lab-based investigations were carried out using three commonly edible carp variety of fishes such as Rohu (Labeorohita), Catla (Catlacatla) and Nile Tilapia (Oreochromisniloticus) collected from ponds (bheries) of the wetland located on the eastern fringes of Kolkata, India. The lab-based analysis revealed the presence of toxic metals such as Cr, Pb, Cd and Hg in the samples with the seasonal order of accumulation being monsoon > post-monsoon > winter > pre-monsoon in the successive years of 2016, 2017 and 2018. Bio-accumulation of toxic heavy metals in fishes follows the order Tilapia > Rohu > Catla where as the bioaccumulation pattern of toxic metals shows the trend Pb > Cd > Cr > Hg across all the seasons and years. The ambient media was also investigated to understand in detail the bioaccumulation pattern at different trophic levels of the ecosystem. Water and sediments were analyzed to evaluate the contamination of toxic heavy metals from point and non-point sources. Current study shows the observed bioaccumulation pattern of the toxic heavy metals in one of the fragile ecosystems that raises an important question of environmental safety in the food we intake on daily basis.